Chapter 361

My heart skipped a beat. The piece Ryan was playing sounded familiar, like I’d heard it a million times, but I couldn’t put a name to it.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching his long, elegant fingers dance over the keys. In that moment, he looked like a prince straight out of a fairytale.

Ryan only played for a short while before turning to look at me.

“What’s this song called?” I asked.

“Ballade pour Adeline,” he replied. “Its melody weaves together the beauty of nature and the image of a beautiful woman.”

“Oh,” I replied. “It sounds really familiar–I hear it all the time, but I never really looked into what it means.”

Ryan lifted his hand, gesturing for me to come closer.

I walked over and sat down next to him. He smiled and asked, “Can you play?”

I shook my head. “Mariah tried to teach me when I was a kid, but I never really got into it. I ended up focusing on dance instead.”

Ryan chuckled. “No wonder you move so gracefully–you studied the arts.”

I gave a helpless, self-mocking smile. “Honestly, it’s just one of my hobbies now–not exactly my strong suit.”

Ryan shrugged. “Everyone needs something to spice up a boring life. I dabble in a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean any of them will be my future job.” As he spoke, he got up and headed into his studio. “By the way, did you toss out that sketch I gave you last time?”

I laughed. “No way! Your art is gorgeous–I actually had it framed.”

“Really?” Ryan’s eyes sparkled. “Then let me give you a few more. They’re already framed, so you can just hang them up.”

I watched as Ryan took several of his paintings down, packed them neatly into a bag, and handed it to me.

I took the bag from him. “Thanks. Once you’re famous, I’ll cash in on these and make a killing.”

Ryan looked at me and suddenly laughed. “Do you know whose paintings fetch the highest prices?”

I blinked and shook my head.

“The ones who are dead,” Ryan said, leaning in close with a mischievous grin. “Who knows, maybe after I kick the bucket, my art will finally be worth something.”

My eyes went wide as I stared at his almost unfairly good-looking face. I couldn’t believe how calm he sounded talking about dying.

“What’s so great about dying? Living is way better,” I said, meeting his gaze.

Ryan smiled. “Yeah, only when you’re alive can you have everything.”

I glanced at the time. “Ryan, I’ve got to head back to work. Once you’re feeling better, let’s grab dinner.”

He nodded, his eyes shining as he looked at me.

As I turned to leave, he suddenly wrapped his arms around me from behind. My breath caught, and I heard him whisper in my ear, “I’m waiting my turn.”

I was thrown off by what he said, but then Ryan added, “I’m next in line after Nathan. If you ever break up with him, will you be with me?”

I spun around, staring at him in disbelief. His eyes were burning into mine. “I’m not a traditional guy. I’m not asking anything from you, I just want to be with you.”

“Ryan, we’re better off as friends,” I said.

“No!” Ryan bit his lip. “I don’t want to be just friends.”

“How do you know Nathan and I will break up?” I asked, giving him a puzzled look.

“Just a feeling,” Ryan said. “Nathan and your ex-husband are cut from the same cloth–both shrewd and scheming businessmen. Even if they love you, profit always comes first for them. In the end, things will fall apart.”

My heart could hardly bear it. It was a harsh truth, but it was exactly what happened between Jared and me.